A future-oriented Government Building Complex

“History will unite with the future. We will change, but also preserve. The new Government Building Complex will be modern, stimulate vibrant and safe urban spaces and create good jobs, while also preserving our history,” says Prime Minister Erna Solberg.

The Government has now decided on a concept and main model for the new complex; the so-called concept East.

The act of terror on 22 July 2011 laid waste to most of the Government Building Complex. Ministry employees have continued their work without interruption in temporary premises.
“Now it is important to make the decisions that must be made in order to rebuild a new Government Building Complex. Good jobs require us to listen to the employees’ needs. Employees will be involved in the process moving forward so that we can find good solutions,” says Minister of Local Government and Modernisation Jan Tore Sanner.

Preservation and rejuvenation, hand in hand
“We wanted to include our shared history in the new complex. We will preserve the front façade of the High-rise, the frontage area, and we want to preserve the integrated artwork in the High-rise. At the same time, this will provide the opportunity to have a functional and compact Government Building Complex by allowing for annexes/expansions of the High-rise and taller buildings behind the High-rise,” says the Prime Minister.

Good knowledge jobs
“The Government Building Complex is first and foremost the employees who work there. We therefore want to create future-oriented, flexible and attractive knowledge jobs in the complex, where employees can collaborate in new ways and work more efficiently,” says Sanner.
Employee representatives, the safety delegate service and all user ministries will be involved in the planning process, including in the work on the room and function programme. Leading up to 2034, about 5700 people will be working in the complex.

Open and vibrant city, secure Government Building Complex
The Government Building Complex is in the heart of the capital. The Government wants the design of the complex to facilitate the creation of sound urban spaces. The chosen concept will open Akersgata for traffic.
Security will be paramount in all work on the new complex. Security measures will be integrated in the design of outdoor areas, area disposal and the use of materials.

Environmental and climate considerations
The environment is the great challenge of our time. The planning of the Government Building Complex will be in line with best practice for environmentally friendly buildings and outdoor areas. The complex will embody architectural qualities that express inclusiveness and Norwegian values.

Further process
This marks the start of the pre-project phase. This involves preparing a plan programme and area development plan, a room and function programme and potential property acquisition. These activities will most likely continue into 2016. This will be followed by detail planning of the buildings, preparing cost estimates and other management basis. The pre-project will be quality-assured (QA2) before the case is presented to the Storting (Norwegian parliament). It is presumed that the Storting can process the case in 2019. The new Government Building Complex may be complete in 2023-2025.